Joanie’s has opened its newly expanded next-door space on the Murfreesboro Public Square. The expansion nearly doubles the restaurant location’s footprint while preserving the atmosphere, food and drink offerings that have made Joanie’s a downtown favorite.
The addition features a new coffee bar, a comfortable lounge area with couches, expanded table seating and a fun collection of colorful artwork throughout the space. Guests can also enjoy a nostalgic touch with an old-school Pac-Man tabletop arcade game. Joanie’s has also expanded its wine selection.
Joanie’s is located at 13 S. Public Square in the heart of downtown Murfreesboro and is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, find Joanie’s on Facebook or Instagram or visit joaniesboro.com.
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Bibles and Coffee has opened its family-owned and operated cafe at 214 W. Main St. after more than 10 years operating as an online business, with more than 15,000 Bibles sold and shipped nationwide.
The new downtown Murfreesboro coffeeshop will serve as a place for conversations and Bible study and will sell various Bibles with custom covers.
Hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit facebook.com/biblesandcoffee or biblesandcoffee.com/pages/visit for more information.
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218 Tavern has opened at 218 W. Vine St. In addition to the indoor tavern space, it offers an outdoor concert and hangout area, with live music from local bands.
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Curry Up Now, an Indian fast casual concept based in the Bay area, will expand to Middle Tennessee with a location opening in Smyrna at 2160 Rock Springs Rd., Suite 600.
Curry Up Now’s grand opening celebration will take place on Saturday, Aug. 22, beginning at 11 a.m. The first 250 guests in attendance will receive free burritos. The festivities will also include a live DJ, henna artist, photo booth and a prize wheel, where guests can spin to win T-shirts, mugs, gift cards, and grand prizes of free Curry Up Now meals for a year.
Designed to be a must-stop spot for tikka masala burritos, deconstructed samosas, naughty naan, Indian street food, thali platters and sexy fries, the team at Curry Up Now is eager to serve its newest neighborhood.
“Nashville’s spirit remains vibrant, hospitable and full of charm—qualities we celebrate in our dishes and atmosphere,” said Harsh Patel, local owner of Smyrna’s Curry Up Now. “We jumped at the opportunity to bring our thoughtfully reimagined cuisine to a community hungry for new flavors and experiences.”
The Smyrna location will also serve an exclusive dish, coined the Nash & Three—Curry Up Now’s ode to the meat & three. The meal consists of two tandoori charred chicken chops, masala mac, peri peri corn, saag paneer and naan, a combination served only in Smyrna.
The restaurant will also house a full-service bar called Mortar and Pestle, featuring various creative cocktails, Tennessee drafts, and whiskey flights that set Indian single malts alongside well-known pours.
For more information, visit curryupnow.com.
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Baskin-Robbins will open a new location on South Rutherford Boulevard near the Publix and Oscar’s at the Broad Street intersection.
The new location of the popular ice cream shop with 31 flavors of ice cream (so customers can try a different one each day of the month) will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 15, according to management, with a soft opening happening earlier in the month.
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Spirit Halloween will have two locations in Murfreesboro this fall, with one at the former Forever 21 in The Avenue, currently open, and another at the old Bargain Hunt off Old Fort Parkway (near Outback Steakhouse, between Walmart and Home Depot)—same location as last year, expected to open by late August.
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McGuire Restaurant Group has opened a new McDonald’s restaurant on Highway 231 near MMC South. This is Rutherford County’s 17th McDonald’s location.
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Ollie’s will open at the Mercury Plaza on Sept. 2. The discount retail store known for selling closeout merchandise, excess inventory, and overstock items at prices up to 70% off regular retail prices will offer a variety of items including food products, kitchen and bath, cleaning, decor, patio furniture, books, automotive, travel, toys, pet items, electronics and more.
Visit ollies.com for further information.
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Sprout & Sprig Plants has opened a physical location at 418 N. Maney Ave. after previously operating online and at local pop-ups.
The local plant shop offers more than 300 items online, including rare plants, pet-safe plants, merch and art. Its website also provides detailed care tips for specific plants.
Hours at Sprout & Sprig’s Murfreesboro shop are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit sproutandsprigplants.com for more information.
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Set on the historic grounds of the former Sewart Air Force Base, and located on the corner of Sam Ridley Parkway and Highway 41 in Smyrna, Sewart’s Landing is a transformative $400 million mixed-use development built across 44 acres. It will offer 280,000-square-feet of retail space, approximately 400,000-square-feet of medical and office space, 240 hotel rooms, and 268 multi-family residential units.
City Barbecue—which recently opened its Murfreesboro location—said it expects its Smyrna restaurant at Sewart’s Landing to open by the end of August.
Other confirmed tenants include Wawa, Sprout’s, Jonathan’s Grille, Brew Y’all, Hand & Stone, Scissors & Scotch, Encore Nails, and Keke’s Breakfast Cafe.
Many of the units expect to open in 2027 with other buildings in the Sewart’s Landing project remaining under development over the coming years. Visit sewartslandingsmyrna.com for updates.
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Paul Mitchell The School Murfreesboro has announced an agreement to teach-out the Murfreesboro campus of Georgia Career Institute, which closed its doors on July 24, 2026.
The contract means that currently enrolled students from GCI can transfer their hours and finish their education at Paul Mitchell without financial penalty or disruption.
Georgia Career Institute was founded as Artistic Beauty College in 1975. In 1989, Joyce Meadows purchased the school and renamed it Georgia Career Institute, opening the Murfreesboro campus in 2004. GCI built a reputation for its small class sizes, hands-on salon-floor training, and career placement support that follows graduates for life.
The Paul Mitchell name goes back to 1980, when hairstylist Paul Mitchell and businessman John Paul DeJoria launched John Paul Mitchell Systems with just $700 and three products, building it into one of the world’s most iconic professional hair care companies. The company later partnered with motivational speaker and business expert Winn Claybaugh to open the first Paul Mitchell School in 2001. Today, the network spans more than 100 accredited locations nationwide. The Paul Mitchell School brand arrived in Murfreesboro in 2010.
“We are deeply humbled that the GCI ownership chose Paul Mitchell School to teach-out their students,” said Dale Jones, regional dean with Paul Mitchell Schools. “Our program shares many of the same best practices that made GCI special: the tight-knit family feel, the low student-to-teacher ratio, and a commitment to alumni that doesn’t expire at graduation”
Paul Mitchell will continue to offer programs in cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology and cosmetology instructor training at its school, located within the Stones River Town Centre (1720 Old Fort Pkwy.), to aid in preparing graduates to take their respective Tennessee state board licensing examinations.
Prospective students and salon guests can learn more at paulmitchell.edu/murfreesboro, or by calling 615-225-5130.
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Bob’s Discount Furniture will open a new Murfreesboro store on Aug. 17 at 2075 Old Fort Pkwy., bringing the national furniture retailer’s selection of affordable home furnishings to Rutherford County.
The new store will offer a variety of furniture for bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and home offices along with mattresses, decor and accessories. The company focuses on providing lower-priced furniture options with delivery and financing services available.
Founded in 1991 in Connecticut, Bob’s Discount Furniture has grown to more than 150 locations across the United States. The Murfreesboro location joins an ever-growing list of major national retailers to open locations along Murfreesboro’s Old Fort Parkway corridor.
For more information, visit mybobs.com.
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Hungry Spot Authentic Jamaican Cuisine has relocated its restaurant from Memorial Boulevard, as previously reported. It now operates out of its food truck, often located at 124 W. Northfield Blvd. in the Bestway Rent-to-Own parking lot, and at local events, serving its jerk chicken and curries.
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Daily Deal Depot has opened at 306 SE Broad St. and offers bin sales with different prices dependent on the given day.
Hours and inventory can vary; find Daily Deal Depot on Facebook for updates.
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Golden Ash Cigars has opened at 1630 S. Church St. The new cigar lounge offers space for seasoned cigar enthusiasts and newcomers, as well as plenty of parking space.
Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m. Visit goldenashtn.com for more info.
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Chevrolet Buick GMC of Murfreesboro will build a new Cadillac of Murfreesboro facility near the John R. Rice and Fortress intersection, just across John R. Rice from the main Chevrolet Buick GMC campus and the neighboring Nelson Mazda dealership.
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Thrive Orthopedics and Rheumatology has opened a new local office at 1272 Garrison Dr., inside the Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, now taking appointments and new clients.
Nurse Practitioner Melissa Malley, with over 28 years in adult orthopedic experience, will work alongside Dr. Brant Bell, PA-C, the original founder of 7 Springs Orthopedics/Sport Ortho Urgent Care.
Dr. Jeff Peterson will also offer the new Jiffy Knee procedure, a minimally invasive, muscle-sparing knee replacement that avoids cutting major tendons or muscles to promote a quicker recovery.
The facility offers in-house imaging. To schedule an appointment, call 615-413-0388.
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Vision Hospitality Group will construct a new AC Hotel by Marriott at the intersection of Silohill Lane and Greshampark Drive on a lot bordering I-24.
The five-story hotel will provide 124 rooms and will stand approximately 63 feet tall, according to plans.
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Acadian Ambulance has opened a new Rutherford County station at 315 Quecreek Circle in Smyrna, expanding the company’s emergency medical services operations in Middle Tennessee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held July 28 to celebrate the new facility.
The new station provides an additional operational base for Acadian Ambulance, allowing the company to better serve transportation needs throughout Rutherford County and surrounding areas. Acadian Ambulance is one of the largest private ambulance services in the country, providing emergency and non-emergency medical transportation, patient transfers, disaster response and other healthcare-related services.
Private ambulance companies operate differently from local government emergency medical services. When someone calls 911, the local government’s EMS system responds to initial emergency calls requiring an immediate emergency response. Private ambulance operators maintain their own dispatch centers and typically provide scheduled or non-emergency transportation, such as moving patients between hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and other healthcare locations. They may also provide contracted ambulance services depending on local arrangements.
Founded in Louisiana in 1971, Acadian Ambulance now operates across multiple states and employs thousands of paramedics, EMTs and support staff. For more information, visit acadian.com.
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Dollar General has announced plans to build a new market on North Tennessee Boulevard, just south of East Northfield Boulevard.
Dollar General now operates over 20,000 stores in the contiguous 48 states, and has begun expanding into Mexico; its headquarters are located in Goodlettsville.
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Rutherford County Schools is preparing to open its 53rd campus with the addition of Poplar Hill Middle School. The new $59.9 million, 169,000-square-foot middle school will serve approximately 860 students.
Located at 5100 Baker Rd., Poplar Hill will hold a two-hour orientation day on Aug. 7, with the first full day of school set for Aug. 10.
The home of the Bobcats, Poplar Hill Middle is led by Principal April Sneed.
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CLOSINGS
Deep South Growlers has announced that it will close its Murfreesboro beer hall, located at 1602 W. Northfield Blvd., in mid-to-late August, after more than 11 years in business. The Nashville location will remain open. Visit deepsouthgrowlers.com for more information.
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Mi Camino Real, located at 1890 Almaville Rd., has announced plans to close after 18 years of business. Mi Camino Real is unrelated to the popular local Camino Real brand.
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Tractor Supply Co. announced that it will close 74 underperforming Petsense stores over the next 10 to 12 weeks, reducing its pet retail store chain to 135 locations. The closures include the Murfreesboro location at 137 Wendlewood Dr., along with four other Tennessee locations.
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After a few years in business, Maya Grill Mexican Food has closed its Murfreesboro location at 805 Old Fort Pkwy.
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Just a month after opening, Honky-Tonkin ‘Bout has closed its location at 1 N. Lowry St. in Smyrna. According to reports, the business owners opened a similar business in Oregon, closed it quickly, and left that area.
